Acclaimed cellist Zuill Bailey to perform with Fredonia orchestra, lead master class

Zuill Bailey, widely considered one of the premier cellists in the world, will be in-residence at the Fredonia School of Music, where he will perform with the Fredonia College Symphony Orchestra and conduct a master class in the School of Music, on Saturday, March 24.

The concert with the College Symphony Orchestra will be held on Saturday, 8 p.m., in Rockefeller Arts Center’s King Concert Hall. Bailey will join the orchestra for the Schumann Cello Concerto, under the direction of Dr. David Rudge. The concert will open with the dramatic and theatrical “Coriolanus Overture” by Beethoven and conclude with Symphony No. 4 by Tchaikovsky.

General admission to the concert is $20, and $10 for Fredonia students with college identification and for children. A post-concert reception with Bailey will be held in Mason Hall Room 1080.

The master class, featuring four seniors – Greg Stebbins (Music Performance, Glen Cove); Alex Cousins (Music Performance, Grand Island); Brian Cordova (Music Performance, Brentwood) and Allen Maracle (Music Education, Webster) – will be held in Diers Recital Hall, located in Mason Hall, on Saturday at 3 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

A rare combination of celebrated artistry, technical wizardry and engaging personality has secured Mr. Bailey’s place as one of the most sought after and active cellists today. He is a GRAMMY Award-winning, internationally renowned soloist, artistic director and teacher.

Also a consummate concerto soloist, Bailey has been featured with symphony orchestras around the world, including those in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Toronto, as well as with the Bruchner Orchestra in Austria. He has collaborated with renowned conductors such as Itzhak Perlman, Alan Gilbert and Andrew Litton, among others, and been featured with musical luminaries Leon Fleisher, Jaime Laredo and the Juilliard String Quartet.

Bailey has performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the United Nations and Carnegie Hall. He made his New York recital debut in a sold out performance of the complete Beethoven Cello Sonatas at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. International appearances include notable performances with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra on its 50th anniversary tour of Russia as well as concerts in Australia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, France, Hong Kong, South Africa and the United Kingdom, among other countries.

The Bailey residency could very well be the highlight of a current student’s education at Fredonia, Dr. Rudge suggests. “Zuill is very approachable as well as a great artist. I expect his presence will have an impact on many of our students and audience members.”
Rudge said Bailey made a lasting impression on him when he saw Bailey play with the Atlanta Youth Symphony at an American String Teachers Association national convention. “The playing was expressive and at a very high, technical level. Both beautiful and clean playing,” he said.

Natasha Farny, cello professor at the School of Music, said Bailey – in addition to excellence in vigorous tone and fearless technique – is a very engaging musician to watch.

“While he is wholly committed to whatever he plays, and eager to share the material with fellow musicians, he is even more committed to sharing it with his audience,” Ms. Farny said. “Don’t be surprised if he makes eye contact with you during the concerto.”

Rudge anticipates a spectacular concert. “The students are ahead of schedule in preparing for it, as they have been excited about working with this soloist and on this music for some time,” he said.

Also a renowned recording artist with over 20 titles, Bailey’s live recording of “Tales of Hemingway” won a best solo performance GRAMMY Award in 2017. His celebrated “Bach Cello Suites” and recently released Britten Cello Symphony/Sonata CD, with pianist Natasha Paremski, soared to the top of the Classical Billboard Chart.

In addition to extensive touring, Bailey serves as artistic director of El Paso Pro-Musica, in Texas; the Sitka Summer Music Festival series and Cello Seminar, Alaska; the Northwest Bach Festival, Washington; and the Classical Inside and Out Series, Mesa Arts Center, Arizona; and director of the Center for Arts Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Bailey performs on a “rosette” 1693 Matteo Goffriller cello, formerly owned by Mischa Schneider of the Budapest String Quartet. He received his B.A and M.A degrees from the Peabody Conservatory and the Juilliard School.

The Bailey residency was made possible by a grant from the Williams Visiting Professor Fund of the Fredonia College Foundation.